Midea organized a huge stand at the IFA 2024 exhibition, where it presented a wide variety of household appliances and various solutions for the home. Our attention was drawn to the company’s robotic vacuum cleaners (and at the same time the wireless vacuum cleaners nearby), as well as kitchen appliances of the future that work without wires and without being connected to an outlet.
Let’s start with robot vacuum cleaners. Midea presented three models at its stand: the relatively budget but powerful Midea VCR M7 EVO, the advanced Midea VCR S8+ and the flagship Midea VCR V12. The last two are equipped with self-cleaning stations, thanks to which cleaning requires a minimum of attention, that is, it becomes even easier and more comfortable.
Midea VCR M7 EVO is an improved version of the popular M7 model. The new product has a more powerful motor that provides suction power of up to 8000 Pa – this allows for even better cleaning of carpets and other floor coverings. There is also a triple filtration system with a HEPA filter, which ensures effective removal of dust particles larger than 0.3 microns.
This robot vacuum cleaner is suitable for both dry and wet cleaning. The capacity of the dust container is 450 ml, the water tank is 200 ml. The new brush has technology that prevents hair from winding. Midea VCR M7 EVO is equipped with an LDS sensor for indoor mapping and collision avoidance. A 5200 mAh battery will provide cleaning for 150 minutes, which is enough even for a large apartment or house.
The Midea VCR S8+ model is distinguished by the presence of a self-cleaning station, which after each cleaning cleans the robot’s dust collector, and thanks to a powerful motor with a suction force of 19,000 Pa, it does this almost instantly – in just 9 seconds. Inside the station there is a disposable dust bag with a volume of 2.5 liters, so it can be changed no more than once a month.
Midea VCR S8+ received a motor from the Japanese company Nidec, which provides a suction force of 4000 Pa. At the same time, the device operates quite quietly – even at maximum power, the noise level does not exceed 67 dB. The vacuum cleaner can also detect when it has touched the carpet and automatically increase suction power. The V-shaped brush prevents hair from getting tangled, and the side brushes help remove dirt even from crevices up to 10mm wide. It also has a triple filtration system with a HEPA fine filter.
To ensure wet cleaning, Midea VCR S8+ has a 400 ml water tank. This is enough to clean up to 200 m² of floor. We also note the water disinfection system. The cleaning cloth here also makes 500 vibrations per minute during operation, thereby ensuring effective cleaning of the floor even from old stains. There is fifth generation LDS laser navigation. The battery capacity is sufficient for cleaning for up to 180 minutes.
Finally, the Midea VCR V12 is the most advanced robot vacuum cleaner in the Midea range. It stands out with its squarer shape, which allows it to better combat dust in corners. In addition, the device boasts a highly functional self-cleaning station, which allows you to automate not only dry, but also wet cleaning.
Midea VCR V12 has a suction power of 5000 Pa, and its brush design prevents hair from getting tangled. The floor cleaning cloths here do not oscillate, like those of the models described above, but rotate at a speed of 200 rpm, which provides more thorough cleaning and allows you to better cope with heavy stains. For navigation, there is LiDAR and a lot of other sensors, so the vacuum cleaner successfully builds a map and avoids obstacles. The noise level is stated at 56 dB, so the vacuum cleaner operates very quietly. There is also a triple filtration system with a HEPA fine filter. And the battery life reaches 180 minutes.
But still, the main feature of the Midea VCR V12 is the self-cleaning station. A large part of it is occupied by a very spacious 4.7 liter dust bag – enough for 2.5 months of daily cleaning. In addition, there are two 2.5-liter water tanks (clean and dirty), which are used to rinse wipes during wet cleaning – the robot vacuum cleaner is regularly sent to the base to clean the wipes. After cleaning is completed, the cloths are washed again and automatically dried with hot air at a temperature of 55 °C.
Midea also showed a wide range of cordless vacuum cleaners. There are both basic models exclusively for dry cleaning, and powerful comprehensive solutions for dry and wet cleaning. And the latter have all sorts of additional options, such as self-cleaning brushes or drying brushes for wet cleaning.
In the end, I would like to separately note that Midea showed a variety of kitchen appliances of the future that work wirelessly. At IFA 2024, the Ki wireless power transmission standard for kitchen appliances was introduced. Like the popular Qi wireless charging standard for smartphones, it uses electromagnetic induction to transfer energy. The standard involves transmitting up to 2200 W of energy, which will be enough for blenders, kettles, toasters, juicers, grills and even deep fryers. In this case, the surface of the energy transmitter hardly heats up.
To use Ki, you will need not only a household appliance that supports the new standard, but also a platform that transmits energy. Devices with Ki communicate via NFC, so power is only supplied once the device is detected and identified. If, for example, the blender tips over or moves, the power supply will immediately stop. Energy transmitters can be built into countertops, and cooktops with built-in Ki energy transmitters will also appear on the market, and the panel itself will determine whether a Ki appliance is installed on it or a regular frying pan, and will operate accordingly.